Inseparable Beings: The Revised Version
by NaturalDreamer
Summary: A remake of the original "Inseparable Beings: The Old Version". Join Sonic and his friends as they struggle to gather the seven Chaos Emeralds on a planet called Earth. With the help of a human child, his family and a lone traveler, will they succeed and return home? A retell of the series "Sonic X" Season One.
1. Chapter 1

_It's late in the night where everything's at peace. The crickets are playing their usual melody... Several owls hoot away the night... All the little critters are sleeping away in their homes... Everything seems so wonderful...until an alarm goes off._

A pair of blue eyes snap open.

Of course, it comes from where Dr. Robotnik lives. The tower's large, metallic demeanor flashes a red light at the top.

From a mile away, she can hear gunshots. If she looks close enough, she can see robots fighting off the intruder.

"..." the figure's silent, taking in the scene before her.

Ever since she arrived here, things have been pretty quiet until now. She heard rumors about Dr. Robotnik (or Eggman, as most call him) and where he resides. The female wanted to see what it looks like up close. Yet, someone beat her to it.

The figure stands and starts rushing towards the destination. The tower isn't that far away. It's only a mile from where she started from. Her eyes focus on the tower ahead. She dodges trees that are in the way and jumps over logs. The stranger stops in front of a tree, a golden locket rising from her chest. Moon light shines on the locket, the surface glittering with pride. Once she takes a step forward, the locket lands on her front once more. She can hear explosions from the inside of the tower.

Her mind wonders how much damage this intruder can make before it's satisfied. With so much noise and explosion, it would not be surprising if it attracted more curious Mobians. Like herself for example.

The young echidna's eyes scan the area. Many robot parts scatter across the burning field. Noticing the fire, she froze, eyes widening in terror. Her body shakes violently. It becomes harder to breathe with each shaky breath she inhales. Her grip on a nearby tree tightens. Tears threaten to fall from the female's eyes.

 _ **Breathe...! Breathe...! Breathe Rukia...!**_

Another explosion snaps her out of trance. Rukia covers her eyes as her legs give out. A quiet sob escapes through her dry lips. A minute passes. Rukia makes sure that her breathing's back to normal before standing again. Sighing, she wipes away her tears. The echidna's still shaking, but she remains strong on her feet. Licking her lips, Rukia avoids the sight of the fire to look around again.

Whoever destroyed these robots aren't merciful, that's for sure. When stepping back, she notices a small group of Mobians standing on a hill with a beat up airplane.

"Are they friends with the intruder...? Or with Dr. Robotnik...?" Rukia's assumption trails off.

No doubt they came because of the alarm. Why else would they be here? It's not like they're here to have a picnic. Though, maybe they were star gazing before all this happened. Who knows. Rukia can come up with a lot of possibilities, but it won't give her any answers. What she doesn't know for sure is their goal.

Allies or enemies?

Before she can further observe them, Rukia hears another explosion from within the tower. Her attention goes back to the building. As soon as she looks back, a bright light bursts out from the tower. She can only watch, dumbfounded by the events that's happening before her eyes. The light enlarges and spreads further. Rukia stands there motionless, accepting her fate. Soon, the light engulfs Rukia and everything around her.

* * *

Darkness...that's all that she can see as she lies on the ground unconscious. Rukia starts hearing crickets playing their nonchalant melody. A gentle breeze ruffles softly against her fur. She shudders in her sleep as her eyes slowly open. The first thing she notices is the dark sky with a bright full moon and some stars mixed in.

That's odd... Usually, there would be several stars up there. Is she imagining things? No. She's pretty sure that she saw a lot of stars tonight, so why...

Her body moves into a sitting position. Rukia rubs her head with a sigh. A painful ringing bursts in her mind as soon as she touches her head. Her right eye twitches before Rukia groans. She rubs her temples to ease the pain. While she does this, Rukia lifts her head a little to see where she is. Her eyes widen, astonished of the new scenery around her.

 **It's also bright.**

Grunting, she moves a hand over her eyes to create a shadow. As her mind throbs against her skull, Rukia surveys the area.

There are several buildings surrounding the area and strange machines moving on the ground. There's small and big machines with a variety of colors. The lights that shine in different areas create a bright atmosphere. With a lot of humans roaming around, it just makes the scene...alive.

She stares in awe, speechless of the new scenery. Despite the pounding in her head, Rukia can't take her eyes off of the area.

This place should feel foreign to her, yet it doesn't. It isn't the first time that she's seen many humans instead of Mobians in one place. The area around her feels more...modern. She's used to much older buildings.

After glancing from left to right, Rukia can't spot any Mobians walking along with the humans. She's thankful that the area where she's sitting is dark. Rukia's unsure of what these humans might think if they see someone like her. With the lack of her kind, she decides it's best to stay in the shadows and observe.

What a night this has become. It was only a while ago that she was standing within a forest. A burning field in her vision... Explosions on Dr. Robotnik's tower, then a bright light swallows everything it touches. Just thinking about it makes her dizzy.

Soon, Rukia hears a rush of water nearby.

Once the throbbing subsides, she stands and walks over to the fountain. Rukia stares into the water and watches her reflection ripple. Dipping her fingers in the water, she sighs in content of how cool it is. Rukia presses her white gloved hands together and fills her palms with water. She splashes it against her face. Rukia does this a couple of times before she's satisfied. Exhaling, the purple echidna watches the water drip from her face and then back into the fountain.

In the reflection, Rukia's wearing brown and white clothes with a gray cloth around her chest. With the way she's dressed, it's as if Rukia's ready to explore some lost ruins. But, she's wearing a long brown skirt instead of a pair of shorts.

Rukia pushes her left bang out of the way to rub her eyes. Blinking away the extra water, she removes her hand and glances back at the humans. She walks over to some trees and hides. Due to the lack of lights around here, people didn't pay attention to the park. Their focus is elsewhere. Rukia notices several humans running down a certain street. A crowd is starting to gather in a specific spot.

Curious.

Yet, she isn't adventurous enough to move from her hiding spot. Rukia remains motionless. With the crowd in the way, she can't see what's happening.

There's a lot of commotion though. She's unsure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Perhaps there's someone famous down there. Hero...? Villain...? A celebrity...? Whatever the case, it's making the human's noisy. Even the children are jumping around trying to catch a glimpse of what's going on.

Sighing, Rukia turns around and heads back to the middle of the park. All a sudden, she hears shouts from behind her. Rukia whirls back around. Men in uniform are holding onto a net with someone underneath it. It turns out to be a blue hedgehog. A Mobian to be exact.

The humans struggle taking down the hedgehog. Sonic dashes onward without breaking a sweat.

These guys weigh nothing compared to what he's used to. Still, Sonic mentally applauded their dedication on doing their job. Too bad he can't make it easy for them. Being in a cage isn't his style. The sooner he's away, the better for his chances at keeping his freedom.

While he's searching for an escape route, a familiar silhouette grabs his attention. Within the shadows, Sonic can make out an echidna.

At first, he thought it was Knuckles. When he observes the figure some more, Sonic realizes it's a mistake. It's an echidna, but it isn't Knuckles. This one has a shade of purple instead of red. Needless to say, Sonic's surprised by this, believing he was the only one here. Well, that just makes things more interesting, doesn't it?

Grinning, Sonic's determination to lose these guys increase. He finds a chance and jumps on top of a police car. The men didn't have time to react. All of them went right into the side window and become stuck. Once Sonic's free of the net, he runs back to where he saw the echidna. He disappears from the humans view.

Believing he disappeared, she goes to turn around again. Her heart skips a beat when Rukia senses someone nearby. She immediately comes face to face with the blue hedgehog. Gasping, Rukia stumbles backwards to place some distance between them. While stumbling, the stranger in front of her chuckles. Her right eye twitches involuntarily. Once she's content with the length, Rukia stops and studies the hedgehog.

Just as she saw, he's a blue hedgehog with a pair of red and white stripped shoes. On his hands are white gloves with matching socks. Amusement flashes in his emerald green eyes as his grin turns into a smile.

"You surprised me. I thought I was the only one here." Sonic admits, observing her as well.

Rukia's silent for a moment before she nods in agreement.

"Likewise."

It's a quiet response, but Sonic heard her. The purple echidna's voice is deep, yet soft spoken. It goes well with her reserved appearance. She's watches him closely, her expression blank.

Sonic scratches his nose, an awkward tension surrounding the two. His smile falters a little. "Though, I've never met you before."

Rukia remains quiet after hearing that fact. Hearing no response, Sonic presses on. Let's see if he can break the ice with an introduction.

"My name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. What's your name?" Sonic curiously asks.

Her eyes widen at the name. Oh, Rukia knows that name. Who doesn't? During her travels, she heard his name through whispers and conversations. He's a hero who's saved their planet more than once. Always defeating Dr. Robotnik and other enemies that threaten the peace. There's one more piece of information she's learned and that's his speed. Sonic's the fastest hedgehog on their planet, Mobius. Rukia has never seen him in action, but something in her gut tells her that she will experience it. Sooner or later.

Noticing her relax after hearing his name, it makes Sonic feel somewhat relieved. The awkward tension dissolves and there's room to breathe now. At least he broke the ice. Even if it's only a little. Her guard's still up, but her face is less tense than before.

"Please accept my apology for being rude. My name is Rukia. Rukia the Echidna." Rukia introduces herself.

"Nah, you didn't do anything rude," Sonic waves his hand around. He gives Rukia a thumbs up to assure her, "So, your name's Rukia, huh?"

Rukia nods in response to his question.

"Nice to meet ya!" Sonic's smile turns into a friendly grin.

"It is a pleasure to meet you as well." Rukia responds with a bow of her head.

Well, isn't this one polite. It reminds Sonic of Cream, the tiny bunny who's courteous and kind to her friends. Speaking of which... If she's here, then that means his friends have come to this world as well. Though, the question is... Where are they? Are they safe? Sonic hopes that the humans aren't after them as well. That is, if they found them. He didn't hear anything about the others when he was running away. Maybe they're hiding? Sonic didn't know and it bothers him. The hedgehog has faith in his friends abilities, but it still doesn't ease his nerves.

Rukia's heart starts pounding harder in her chest. Her eyes start to glow when she suddenly feels many presences around her. She looks over her shoulder to see a policeman.

"I found him!" the man shouts. Sonic snaps out of his thoughts and abruptly looks at him.

As soon as the stranger said so, more policemen come out. They're set on taking Sonic down. Even if it's by force.

Not wanting to get caught again, he grabs Rukia's hand. Rukia didn't have time to comment on his sudden reaction. Sonic's legs tense as he dashes away with Rukia right behind him. The humans didn't stand a chance. Both of them disappear right in front of their eyes.

Everything around Rukia is a blur. The only thing that she can describe is the road. It's smooth, yet hard under her feet. Nothing compared to the grass where she was last standing on. White, bold lines keep appearing and disappearing from her view. How fast are they going? This is the fastest Rukia has ever experienced. She has some speed, but not like this. It's not even close. So, Rukia tries her best to keep up with Sonic and not fall flat on her face. It's difficult every once in a while when she stumbles, but Rukia manages. Somewhat.

Her instincts prove to be correct once again. The echidna just didn't expect to witness Sonic's speed this soon. Well, considering the situation they're in, Rukia understands why she did. The humans made him go into action. Despite that fact, his speed's remarkable. It doesn't even look like he's breaking a sweat. Rukia's thankful that he's a good guy.

The two of them continue running on some highway. The road's completely empty, creating an open space for them. Up in the sky, however, there's a helicopter that has a spot light on them. Rukia glances over her shoulder to catch sight of the flying machine that's tailing them.

Rukia turns her head and notices police cars up ahead. Large blocks of concrete barricade the road. There's no space for them to run around or straight ahead. It's a dead end for the two of them unless they come up with something. It's not like they can fly or burrow under ground.

"Sorry about this." Sonic suddenly apologies.

He pulls Rukia towards him, picks her up and carries her bridal style. Startled by his bold action, her arms immediately went around him. Sonic picks up the pace, his legs tightening for the jump. He holds onto Rukia before taking one last step.

"Here we go!" Sonic exclaims.

Sonic presses hard against the ground and then leaps over the blockade. Rukia takes a glimpse below her. All she can see are expressions of awe on the humans faces. Judging by their reactions, this might be the first time they saw this type of miracle.

 **First time for everything.**

Sonic easily lands on the ground. With the policemen behind them, he bolts down the road once again. Since the ground team failed to stop Sonic, the helicopter resumes it's chase. It proves futile, however, when Sonic's speed outruns the helicopter. They're forced to pull back when they lose sight of him. Sonic continues running. He wants to make sure that there's a lot of distance between them and the police.

Rukia keeps a look out for anything suspicious.

If there's anything to report, she would inform Sonic about it. Luckily, it's just the two of them on the road.

They keep this up for a while until Sonic slows down. As soon as he comes to a stop, he gently places Rukia down and backs away.

"Thank you." Rukia appreciates his help by nodding at him.

"No problem!" Sonic winks at her before jumping and landing on a nearby street lamp.

Rukia goes over to a rail and leans against it. She props her hand to lean her head against. A warm breeze caresses her cheek and dreadlocks. The peaceful atmosphere calms her nerves. She sighs, comfortable with the silence. Her eyes surveys the area, noticing how far they've come from the city. Rukia glances at the sky. Many stars cover the dark sky with the bright full moon in the middle.

Compared to the stars from the city, there are more around here to view. It's something to appreciate. There's just something about star gazing that eases the mind. Perhaps it might be the beauty of the sky, or the atmosphere. Whatever the case, it always soothes her.

As Rukia glances up at Sonic, she notices that he's watching the stars. She can't read his expression since he's facing away from her. She pushes herself off from the rail and walks over to the lamp post. Despite the relaxing mood, Rukia still has some questions. It's best to ask them now or something else might come up.

"That light..." Rukia starts off, catching Sonic's attention as he looks down at her, "...what exactly was it?"

Sonic thinks about it for a moment, wondering what light she's referring to. Is she asking about the light from the Chaos Emeralds? It's possible that it was Chaos Control. They did travel to an unknown place. It's been a while since he's seen Chaos Control in action, though.

"It was probably Chaos Control." Sonic answers.

"Chaos Control...?" Rukia questions.

"Yeah. Have you heard about it?" Sonic asks her, wondering if she didn't know.

It wouldn't be a first since not everyone has seen or heard about it.

Rukia turns her head before answering, "I have heard of it during my travels. Yet, to actually see such a thing for the first time... It is a new experience for me," Rukia answers, "Especially something that big."

Sonic didn't say anything. He did acknowledge her response with a nod though.

"Since you're here, I think my friends also came to this world. Hopefully they're okay." Sonic says.

Rukia's silent, not sure how to respond to that. While the two of them are quiet, Rukia hears a distant siren coming their way. Sonic jumps from the lamp post and lands on the road. They notice five race cars coming towards them.

The one that stands out the most, however, is the red one.

Rukia stands beside Sonic, waiting for a chance to escape. The five race cars slow down in front of them. With the light in their eyes, it's hard to see who's coming out of the red one. Once Rukia's use to the brightness, she takes a long look at the human.

With most humans, they're taller than most Mobians. So, his height didn't surprise her. He's wearing a red racing uniform to match his vehicle and a helmet to match his uniform.

"Yo! Blue hedgehog," the human greets Sonic with a brief wave of his hand, "There's been a local search for you. Thank you for waiting."

Annoyed by this situation, Sonic turns to leave. But, the man tells him to wait. Once the man takes off his helmet, he starts speaking again.

"You should hear a person's words out until the end." the man advises Sonic as he leans against his race car.

Sonic didn't say anything, but he did stop walking. His ears twitched, waiting for the man to continue. Once the man looks over at Sonic, he then notices Rukia.

"Oh? We've only been informed of a blue hedgehog. We didn't know he had a friend." the man speaks while looking at her.

Rukia didn't respond to his observation. She keeps her mouth firmly shut, though her eyes did narrow. This man smells like trouble and she doesn't like it one bit. Her body tenses, waiting for him to do something.

"Well, it just make things more exciting." the man says after a couple of seconds pass. With a small grin, he turns his attention back on Sonic.

"This city is... This place is too peaceful. In the last year, only one criminal was captured. He brought his formula machine onto the freeway, pretending to be a racer. His fun only lasted two minutes," the man starts and then he begins to smirk, "He drove from place to place... Hell, you can make ramen in two minutes, you know." the man jokingly says, waiting for their reactions.

"... Ramen?" Rukia questions, expressing confusion over this piece of information.

"What? You don't know what ramen is?" the man asks in disbelief.

"No, I do not. Please excuse us for not having time to read about your...culture. We were too busy running away from you humans after all." Rukia points out, crossing her arms after speaking.

Sonic smirks over at Rukia for her sarcastic remark. So, underneath that polite attitude is someone with a back bone. A fighter. He doesn't know how much will power she has in her though. He just met the girl. This should be interesting!

The human male's taken back by her remark, but ends up laughing. He's not mocking her. It's just the sudden truth to it that made him react that way.

"Sorry, sorry," the man wipes away the tears from his eyes, "Let me teach you who we are then."

He takes a moment to collect himself. After the laughter's gone, the human speaks.

"Well, in this city, we're the special highway high speed squad, the S Team!" he introduces his team, "I'm the leader. I'm called Highway Star!" the man introduces himself with a title instead of a real name.

There's a slight pause before he speaks again, "Sorry, that was a long introduction." the man, Highwest, apologies. His smirk widens.

"From now on, it's going to be fast!"

An engine roars out, surprising both Mobians. Sonic immediately picks Rukia up and bolts down the road. The four white race cars, that were behind the man, pursues after them at great speed. Compared to the police cars, the ones behind them are faster and persistent. Rukia can pretty much touch the vehicle since they're that close. Noticing another road, Sonic curves to the right and continues onward. They follow without breaking formation.

"So they want to play tag? This should be fun!" Sonic excitedly shouts.

"I do not think this is fun..." Rukia comments with a frown.

Sonic only grins down at her before picking up the pace. He isn't the only one to speed up. The riders behind them accelerate. It didn't take long to surround the Mobians. Sonic glances around, enjoying all the action.

"They're better than the ones before." Sonic notices, impressed with their speed.

"That is suppose to be a bad thing, Sonic." Rukia tells him.

She nervously glances at the drivers. They're driving closer, trapping them in the middle. Rukia tightens her grip on Sonic. Noticing the worried expression, Sonic's grin softens.

"Don't worry! I got this!" Sonic assures her.

Rukia glances back at him and nods, placing her trust in his abilities. If Sonic's not troubled by this situation, then she should feel the same way.

Easier said than done when Rukia doesn't know what he's planning.

Sonic suddenly disappears with Rukia in his arms. This astounds the drivers. The one on the right hears someone knocking on his window. He looks over to see a grinning Sonic. Before the human can say anything, Sonic disappears again. This time he appears on top of the race car. While standing, he stares at the driver upside down.

"... You are going to give kids out there bad ideas." Rukia sighs as she shakes her head.

Rukia's sitting on top of the vehicle, though a little ways back. Even if Rukia points out how wrong this is, she isn't any better. Sonic gives Rukia a sheepish grin. He turns his head to look at the readers.

"You guys, don't stand on moving cars, okay?" Sonic warns them. He wiggles his index finger for the extra effect.

"Please do not. We do not want any of you to get hurt." Rukia pleads with the audience.

After giving out advice, Sonic picks her up again and jumps off the car. He lands and immediately sprints down the road. His pace's quicker than before.

The racers become desperate as they gain more speed. They're trying to catch up. To prove that it's useless to catch up to him, Sonic does something amazing. He turns around and starts running backwards. At the same pace.

"Wha..."

Rukia's jaw drops at his daring act. There's not a word to describe how she feels about this. She's just...speechless! How can he pull off this feat without skipping a beat? It's just insane!

She narrows her eyes and closes her mouth. Rukia points an accusing finger at him.

"You... Show off."

Sonic snickers at her comment. A smug smirk forms on his lips, ecstatic about the reactions. From Rukia and the drivers. Sonic can see the humans frustrated expressions through their windshields. His smirk widens, finding this too funny.

The four riders suddenly maneuver to the sidelines. The red vehicle from before appears in the back. Rukia watches the car warily.

An uneasy feeling clenches her stomach. What is that man planning to do...?

She didn't have to wait long as the red race car blasts forward. This stuns both of them. Sonic leaps out of harms way. The vehicle rushes by and continues onward, leaving them behind. Noticing the difference in speed from the white vehicles, Sonic's excitement grows.

"Get on my back." Sonic instructs her.

Rukia looks up at him with a questioning glance. She didn't say anything as she climbs over his shoulders and ends up on his back. Making sure she doesn't fall off, her arms wrap around him. Sonic's arms wrap around her legs.

"Hold on tight." Sonic warns her, his speed increasing dramatically.

He's going so fast, she forces her eyes shut. Since there's only darkness, Rukia doesn't know what happens next. That is until she feels weightless. Her eyes open to see that the two of them are flying in the sky. Rukia glances down and notices how bright the lights are.

They look like Christmas lights blending in with different colors. An artist would be jealous for not being here to see this view. It would inspire them to create a beautiful painting. At least, that's what Rukia likes to believe.

Climbing off of Sonic's back, she starts to glide through the air. Sonic continues to float forward.

"It's quite beautiful." Sonic compliments the lights.

Rukia nods her head in agreement, "It is colorful."

"There was that amusing guy too." Sonic points out, looking over his shoulder.

Highway Star, the man that talked with them before, stands on a nearby cliff. He can only watch the two fly off.

"This might be fun." Sonic finishes with a grin, enjoying this world already.

They continue forward, noticing that they're flying over some houses.

 **There's one problem...**

Sonic's beginning to fall and above a pool nonetheless! He starts freaking out about the water. Sonic attempts to run in mid air, but it proves useless.

Gravity's not kind to the hedgehog. Noticing that he's falling, Rukia glides over to him.

Too late.

Sonic hits the pool hard, creating a huge geyser. The water smacks against Rukia. She spins in mid-air and lands on some bushes. She's thankful for the cushion. But, it's covered with thorns.

Rukia right eye twitches. Grunting, she quickly jumps off. While she's busy taking thorns off her bottom, Rukia senses someone come outside. Before she can react, Rukia hears another splash. She looks over at the pool to see no one there. The echidna hastily rips off the thorns and jogs over to the edge of the pool. As soon as she reaches the pool, a human boy surfaces with Sonic.

The boy's startled by Rukia's sudden appearance. Not waiting for him to say anything, Rukia offers her hand. He stares at her hand for a moment before grabbing it. Rukia's grip tightens as she pulls them out of the water. As soon their feet touch the ground, Rukia let's go. She gives them some space to breathe.

Sonic coughs out some water, shivering from the sudden cold air. The boy pats his back, being mindful of the quills on Sonic's back. He glances at Rukia for a moment and then returns his focus on Sonic.

"Are you alright?" the young boy asks, rubbing his back.

"Yeah, thank you." Sonic replies, giving him a side glance.

The little human widens his eyes, shocked that Sonic spoke. Blinking a couple of times, he goes to speak again.

"You...can talk?" the boy hesitantly asks him.

Sonic just stares at him. Rukia places a hand on her cheek, watching the scene unfold. Is it really surprising that they can speak? Apparently so. Seeing the boy's reaction, however, amuses Rukia.

"Naturally, why not?" Sonic replies as if it's the most obvious thing to do.

"Wow, you're really speaking," the boy says in disbelief before smiling, "I'm Chris! And you? What's your name?"

"It's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog." Sonic introduces himself.

Chris glances back at Rukia, noticing that she's been quiet through the whole thing. Rukia looks at him, waiting for him to speak.

"And your name? What is it?" Chris asks, curious to know her name as well.

Rukia's quiet for a moment before she answers, "My name is Rukia."

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I only own Rukia. No one else.**_

 **Author's Notes: WHAT'S UP MY PEOPLE!? GUESS WHAT!? I'm going to start revising my old story and uploading the revised version with a separate story. I'm so inspired and pumped up! I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF! So! Here's the thing. I will update this story whenever I can because I work a lot and it takes a lot of brain power to go through my old chapters. That and well... Fixing a lot of stuff and hating myself for it. |||OTL After this, I'm going to update my profile and let people know I'm back.**

 **I'm sorry for leaving things like this. It WON'T happen again. If it does, I will remind myself that I need to keep going, even if I have to force myself to do it. I love my character. I really do. An artist that I follow inspired me to write again, so here I am and I'm here to stay!  
**

 **Thank you for reading and you guys know the drill! If there's anything that needs to be fixed, let me know! My minds open for anything! See ya around~!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Here's a towel, Sonic."

Chris hands him a large, fluffy towel. Sonic accepts the fabric and starts wiping himself off. He sighs in content, ecstatic of having something warm wrapped around him. Chris goes inside his bathroom to change out of his wet pajamas. Rukia walks over to a window and pushes the curtain aside.

There's nothing much to observe outside, except for the balcony and several pools. Some are small while others are huge. This place must throw a lot of pool parties if they have that many. After scanning the area, Rukia can't see any roads.

Which is good since they don't need any more disturbances for the night.

A distant siren interrupts her train of thought. It's not loud enough to wake the whole household, but she did pick it up. The sound fades after a couple of minutes before it's silent. Rukia waits for the sound to come back, but everything remains quiet.

Rukia exhales, not realizing she was holding her breath during that tense moment. She releases the curtains and steps away from the glass door. A yawn escapes her lips. Rukia rubs her eyes, fatigue slowly consuming her mind. She looks over at Sonic to see what he's doing. Sonic just finished drying off. He's using the towel to clean the inside of his ears now. The hedgehog smacks the side of his head to remove any extra water that's left inside. Feeling nothing swishing inside of his head, Sonic drops the towel. He then jumps on top of a small sofa and flops backwards.

Rukia shakes her head at Sonic's lack of manners. She walks over and picks up the damp towel, folding it neatly. After completing the task, Rukia hears the sound of breathing. She glances over at the couch where Sonic resides. Sonic's eye lids are shut, his chest moving steadily. His left arm dangles from the couch while the other lies on his stomach.

 **He looks peaceful sleeping there.**

Sonic must be exhausted after tonight's adventure. Rukia can't blame him. He teleported to a strange world, lost his friends, and was chased by humans. It would drain anyone's energy. She's thankful that they found some place to sleep for the night. Rukia's unsure of this human child, but he seems kind. After all, Chris was generous enough to invite them into his home. He even saved Sonic from drowning. Speaking of which, what's taking the child so long...?

Yawning again, Rukia squints at Chris' bathroom door when it finally opens. Chris steps out with a fresh pair of pajamas. He rubs his eyes and looks over at the duo.

Rukia waves and strolls over to him. She hands him the damp towel. Chris takes the towel, enters the bathroom again, and comes back within a minute. Rukia glances at Sonic before looking back at Chris.

"Thank you for letting us stay the night." Rukia whispers.

"You're welcome. Please make yourselves at h-home." Chris stutters in a hush tone.

He's still not use to the fact that there's animals here that can talk. Anybody would be freaking out about this. It's something that doesn't happen. Maybe in a fairy tale book or in a dream. But not like this. Chris does, however, hope that this isn't a dream. It's not every day something new and exciting happens to him.

Chris has so many questions to ask, but unfortunately his foggy mind wouldn't let him. He let's out a big yawn, attempting to cover his mouth to reduce the noise. Rukia nods toward his bed.

"You should rest. It is quite late." Rukia tells him, making sure to keep her voice down.

"Will you two be here when I wake up...?" Chris mutters, his voice slurring.

Rukia observes the child, pursing her lips at his question.

It would be rude to walk out on the child during the day. But, it feels wrong to remain here for free, even if it's temporary. If they do leave, where would they go? Every human would be on the look out for them. They might even attempt to capture them. Besides, Rukia doesn't sense any ill will in Chris. Perhaps...staying here will be for the best...? She didn't like it, but it seems Rukia doesn't have much of a choice. It's better than running away like some fugitive. When everything calms down, she will pay him back for his kindness.

Somehow.

"If that is what you wish..." Rukia starts off, luring Chris out of his dazed state,"... Then yes. We will be here in the morning," Rukia promises before ushering him towards the bed, "Now rest."

"Okay..."

Chris staggers over to his bed. He climbs in, grabs his blanket and pulls it over him. Feeling warm and comfortable, it didn't take long for Chris to fall asleep. Rukia watches him for a moment before making her way over to the bean bags. She pushes two of them together and flops down. Rukia moves around to find a comfortable spot. When she does, she closes her eyes and relaxes. A couples of minutes pass before Rukia doze off.

* * *

Morning light penetrates through Chris' blinds. The birds chirp happily outside the room. Someone's foot steps resounds in the young Echidna's ear drums. Rukia shifts in her sleep before waking up. Yawning, she opens her eyes and attempts to rub away the blurry sight. Rukia pushes herself up and stretches. When she feels her bones cracking, Rukia sighs in content.

That always feels good. Her body instantly relaxes and she doesn't feel as stiff. It's something to look forward to when waking up. After sleeping through the night, Rukia feels wonderful. Refreshed and ready to start the day. Even though Rukia feels this way, memories of last night flash through her head. How will she start her day in this strange world? There are many questions swirling through her mind. Where are they located? She knows that they're in Chris' home, but what world are they in? Are they even in a different world?

It might be the case with the vehicles she saw last night. There's also the fact about how the humans reacted to their appearances. There are many like them living on Mobius. A lot of humans don't even bat an eyelash whenever they see their kind. Here? It's different. Rukia feels antsy just thinking about it. Will she have to get used to hiding? Being inside one place for too long doesn't sound good to her. Rukia likes having freedom to walk where ever she pleases. At least legally.

Rubbing her temples, Rukia sighs again, but heavier.

She's going to need to gather information. No answer will come up just sitting here. Are there any books lying around here...?

The sound of a door opening catches her attention. Her eyes glow a bit before she glances at the bathroom door, the presence familiar to her. Chris walks out in regular clothes.

He fixes his red and white t-shirt. Underneath to keep him warm is a long black sleeve shirt. To complete the modern look, Chris' wearing blue jeans and stylish shoes.

The young boy looks up after straightening himself and notices Rukia awake. Chris' lips stretch into a bright smile.

"Good morning!" Chris greets her with a slight wave.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Rukia asks as she smooths out the wrinkles on her clothes.

"Yes I did. How about you...? Were the bean bags comfortable?" Chris hesitantly asks, his concerned gaze turning to the objects.

"I slept well and they were comfortable enough. Thank you for asking," Rukia says before she stands. She looks over at the couch and notices Sonic still lying on the couch, "Is he still asleep?"

"Nah, I'm awake."

Sonic's voice startles both of them. One of his hands lazily wave at them before it flops back down. Sonic grunts as he sits up and jumps off of the couch. After landing, he stretches his arms and legs. Rukia turns to him, frowning.

"Did we wake you up?" Rukia asks, worried that their conversation interrupted his sleep.

"Nope! I've been awake for a while," Sonic answers. He notices Rukia's troubled expression and grins at her, "You guys didn't wake me up. Promise."

"Well... If you are sure..." Rukia says, yet there's still doubt in her tone.

"Positive!" Sonic reassures her with a thumbs up.

Before anyone says anything, they hear footsteps coming their way. Rukia tenses as she frantically looks for a place to hide. Sonic quickly glances around before noticing the door leading to the balcony. He rushes over and fidgets with the lock. Rukia realizes his plan and hurries over to him. Just as she reaches him, there's a knock at the door, which causes the Mobians to panic.

"Young Master. Is everything alright? I heard noises coming from your room." a male asks, his voice muffled from behind the door.

"Y-yes, Mr. Tanaka! Everything's okay!" Chris falsely assures, his voice squeaking at the end.

"Please hurry." Rukia urges Sonic, her eyes darting between him and the door.

"Please open the door, Young Master."

"Almost... Got it!"

Sonic unlocks the door and slams it open. He grabs Rukia's hand and sprints out of the room. Rukia stumbles after him, almost tripping over her own feet. He swerves to the right and bolts forward. Rukia notices he's not stopping and braces herself to jump. As soon as they reach the end, both of them leap off of the balcony and land on their feet. Not having time to recover, Sonic pulls Rukia with him and hides in the shade by the house. He peeks his head out to keep an eye on any movements above. Rukia presses a hand against her chest, her heart pounding.

Rukia hasn't felt this much thrill since... Well yesterday, but that's besides the point. Before that, it was coming upon an abandoned shrine. Just finding the old relic delighted her. When it came to learning about the history... Rukia couldn't sleep that night. Determined, she wanted study as much as possible before passing out the next day. Not good for her health, but she didn't care at that point. Rukia's passion of acquiring more knowledge about the artifact wouldn't settle down. Not until she was satisfied. After finally completing that task, Rukia's body and mind were exhausted. But she didn't regret it.

Rather, it made her proud and accomplished.

Sonic notices a man run out and frantically looks around. Chris joins him while holding a broom and speaks to this Tanaka guy. They talk for a while until the man repeatedly bows to him.

It's too bad that Sonic can't hear their conversation. He likes to know what Chris told the guy to make him react that way.

Chris waves his hands around, awkwardly smiling at him before setting the broom down. After Tanaka bows to Chris once more, he hands a phone to him. They talk again before Tanaka leaves. Chris presses the phone against his ear, his lips moving. While Chris speaks to whoever's on the phone, he looks around.

Sonic assumes Chris' searching for them. The blue hedgehog observes some more until he knows that it's safe to go back. Seeing that the areas clear, Sonic turns to Rukia to inform her of what's going on, but pauses.

Rukia's staring off into space, her eyes glazed over. There's a silly grin on her face as she gently bobs her head side to side. Sonic watches her for a while before he chuckles.

Looks like someone's a day dreamer. Time to snap her out of it.

He tugs on her hand. Rukia's mind snaps out of reminiscing and back to the present. She looks over at him.

Sonic appears to be less tense than before. The wrinkle between his eyes are less noticeable. There's an easy going smile on his face. Sonic's grip on Rukia's hand loosens and falls to his side. Something must have happened while Rukia was out of it.

Seeing that she's paying attention, Sonic thrusts a thumb behind him.

"I think we're good. You wanna head back?" Sonic asks.

"Yes." Rukia walks around him and takes note of the tree by Chris' balcony, "We can climb back up and relax on the roof."

"That's no problem! I can get us there half the time." Sonic brags while flicking his nose with his thumb.

"Very well." Rukia says as she warily glances over her shoulder, "Do you need to pick me up again?"

"With your permission. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable yesterday." Sonic apologizes while rubbing behind his head.

"It is quite alright. You only...surprised me," Rukia admits before facing him, "Whenever you are ready."

He nods at Rukia before walking over to her. Sonic picks her up and holds her bridal style, making sure she's comfortable. His legs become tense as he positions himself. Once his grip on Rukia tightens, Sonic bursts out into the opening.

It didn't take long to reach their destination. With his impressive speed, they reached the balcony in a couple of seconds. Chris stumbles backwards at their sudden appearance. He almost drops the phone in his hand, but he recovers quickly. Rukia waves, mouthing 'sorry' to him. Sonic grins at Chris before he leaps toward the roof. The young boy watches in awe of the stunt, forgetting that he's on the phone. As soon as Sonic plants his foot on the roof, he immediately climbs.

 _"Chris? Is everything okay?"_

The female's voice snaps Chris out of his daze. Shaking his head, he quickly replies.

"Y-yes mama! There was just a sudden burst of wind, that's all." Chris lies as he chuckles nervously.

 _"Is that so...? There has been a lot of wind lately. Ah! That's the reason I wanted to call you, sweetie."_

While Chris talks to his mother, the two Mobians relax on the roof. Sonic's lying on his back, his head propped up with his hands. Rukia's sitting with her legs crossed, her hands resting behind her. She does this to support her torso. A warm, pleasant breeze caresses her cheeks and dreadlocks. Rukia closes her eyes to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere that surrounds the group. Chris' joyful voice trails through her ear drums.

Talking to his mother must bring out such strong, positive emotion. It usually does when a child talks to their parents. He's lucky to have a loving mother.

Rukia opens her eyes, frowning at the upcoming thought.

Unfortunately, not all children are quite that lucky. She experienced that first hand. It...isn't a pretty sight and it's something that Rukia doesn't dwell on a lot. At least, she tries not to.

Sighing, Rukia rummages through her pockets and takes out a hair clip. Pushing her bang to the side, she snaps the hair clip in place. Rukia rubs her eyes and then blinks away the blurriness. Once her sight's focused, she glances over at Sonic. He's resting his eyes, a peaceful expression on his face. Sonic's ears twitch whenever a sound goes off. They mostly move because of the birds or Chris' voice. Though, a car horn did go off once and his ears stood straight up. A small smile forms on Rukia's lips, amused by the sight. She turns her head forward and watches the scenery.

"Actually there's something I have to apologize to you about," Chris' guilt tone catches Rukia's attention, her eyes shifting downward, "It's about my promise with you... About not going outside after midnight and staying away from the adult pool."

Rukia can pick up the sound of his mother's voice, but the words are lost to her. Chris seems to hesitate before he looks up at the roof, his gaze set on the two Mobians. Rukia waves at him. Chris returns the gesture with an awkward smile.

"No, it's not that. I helped a drowning cat." Chris tells her, his gaze turning back to the scenery.

Sonic cracks an eye open at the word 'cat'.

What did Chris mean by cat? He's a hedgehog, not a feline!

He scratches his nose, annoyed. Sonic pushes himself up until he's standing on the roof. His sudden movements catches Rukia's attention. She peeks at him from the corner of her eye, not moving just yet. Sonic kicks himself off of the roof and settles on top of the baluster. He flops down and crosses his legs. Sonic thrusts a thumb toward himself, a frown on his lips.

"Was that cat supposed to be me?" Sonic asks.

Chris stares at him, speechless. Rukia crawls toward the edge of the roof and lies on her stomach. She then props her feet up and her one arm. Rukia rests her cheek on the palm of her hand. She watches the two have a bit of a stare off.

She's curious on where this conversation will lead.

"Yeah," Chris answers after a moment, blinking in confusion, "Are you angry at me?"

Before Sonic can respond, Chris continues with his arms spread out in front of him, "You see, she wouldn't understand if I said I saved a hedgehog."

It's Sonic's turn to be confused, "What do you mean?"

"Because hedgehogs are much smaller," Chris explains, moving his hands to create a small space between them, "Maybe this big at most?"

"So..." Both males turn their eyes to Rukia when she speaks up, "... You only have baby hedgehogs here?"

Chris shakes his head, "No. From what I read, that's about the size of an adult hedgehog. The baby hedgehogs are much smaller."

"... Fascinating."

There's a fluttering sensation in Rukia's stomach, her pulse racing with excitement. Just learning something new about this world, however small it is, fills her with joy. Rukia's tail twitches happily, her feet bobbing in mid-air. Chris watches Rukia's demeanor change, his expression thoughtful.

"You found that impressive?" Chris asks, his curiosity increasing.

"Yes. How about you?" Rukia questions, a small smile on her lips.

"I do! But you guys are more interesting. You're bigger and you can talk too!" Chris looks over at Sonic, his eyes wide with enthusiasm, "When and where did you guys learn how to speak?"

Sonic scratches his head, digging around in his mind to find an answer. He tries to remember back when he was a kid, but the memories are fuzzy. Sonic narrows his eyes, displeased he can't recall anything, "I don't remember something so long ago."

"I learned how to talk when I was young." Rukia answers, her movements slowing to a stop.

"Really...?"

 _Ring ring_

Their conversation ends when the telephone in Chris' hand goes off. The sudden vibration startles Chris. He quickly reacts and presses the answer button. Chris brings the phone to his ear and looks to the side.

"Hello...? ... Oh dad!" Chris' expression brightens at the familiar voice on the other end.

While Chris converses with his father, Rukia sits up and stands. She wipes off the dirt on her clothes before jumping down. Rukia safely lands on the balcony and then strolls over to one of the chairs. She can't sense anyone coming to Chris' room, so she'll sit with the boys for a while. Rukia pulls a chair out and settles on top of the wood surface. Crossing her legs, she listens to the conversation between father and son. Sonic picks at his ears, distracting himself from hearing the mushy stuff.

"But more importantly, you're busy. Aren't you?" Chris questions, his smile faltering a little.

" _Yeah very._ " his father answers, his voice sounding tired.

"I'm really fine, okay?" Chris assures him.

" _Oh okay. I'm hanging up then. I love you, Chris._ " his father says in an affectionate, fatherly tone.

"Me too, dad. Bye."

Chris hangs up and looks over at the Mobians. Sonic shakes his head, a discomforting sigh coming out of his lips. Rukia smiles a little, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Chris blushes at their reactions and smiles sheepishly. There's a peaceful moment between them. But, it didn't last long when someone's rumbling stomach interrupted the silence. Both males turn their attention to Rukia, whose blushing furiously. She turns her head to the side, avoiding eye contact with them. Sonic grins at her embarrassed state and chuckles.

"I am sorry. I have not eaten anything since yesterday afternoon." Rukia admits, still not looking at them.

"It's okay!" Chris moves his hands around to assure her before dropping them, "What do you guys usually eat?"

"What do hedgehogs here eat?" Sonic asks.

"I checked it out on the internet..." the word internet brings Rukia's gaze back on the young boy, "... And this is what I found."

Chris reaches over and picks up a silver bowl with brown bits inside. He offers Rukia the food first. She takes a piece and examines it. Chris then brings it to Sonic. The blue hedgehog narrows his eyes at the foreign food.

It's something he hasn't seen before. Very small and it smells weird. Sonic can't place the scent of the food. Though, fish might be the closest thing he can describe. Just thinking about tasting this makes him want to gag.

"I will try it if you will." Rukia says, her eyes focused on Sonic.

Sonic grimaces before he picks one and rolls it between his two fingers. He glances over at Rukia, his lips stretching into a smirk, "Ladies first."

Rukia purses her lips, her eyes turning to the food. She wiggles her nose before nodding, "Very well."

She pops the piece in her mouth and chews. Sonic follows suit. A few seconds have pass before their reactions became obvious.

It's disgusting.

Sonic coughs before pointing accusingly at the bowl in front of him, "What is this!?"

"Cat food." Chris answers while rubbing behind his head.

"The poor cats..." Rukia mutters, willing herself to not puke out the contents.

Sonic waves a hand in front of him, his tongue sticking out, "No way! Give me a break!"

This is the second time he's been treated like a cat. It's starting to get old! What else is Chris going to do next? Make him wear some cat ears? Like hell he will! Despite being frustrated, Sonic feels bad for making Rukia go through that nasty experience. He made her go first after all.

"Well there seems to be food for hedgehogs too..." Chris' voice breaks Sonic out of his thoughts, "...but it says that cat food will do fine," Sonic turns his head, disgusted at the mention of that garbage, "You could also eat dried crickets..."

The dried crickets are the last straw. Fed up with being treated like a pet, Sonic slaps the bowl away from him, spilling cat food all over the balcony. Chris stumbles back, stunned by his reaction. Sonic leaps away from the balcony and lands on a tree branch. Chris runs over to the baluster, stretching his hand out.

"Where are you going!?" Chris shouts, upset that Sonic's going to leave.

"I, unfortunately, happen to be a gourmet!" Sonic informs him.

While this goes on, Rukia's busy cleaning up the cat food under the table.

She can't stand seeing a mess. Rukia would feel antsy whenever she notices something dirty or disorganized. It's something she grew up with. Not a bad habit or anything. Rukia just wishes her hands wouldn't twitch whenever she encounters a mess. It becomes annoying after a while, so she makes sure to clean up. That and well... Rukia likes to organize. It's to keep her mind focused and sharp.

"Rukia!"

 _Bam!_

An immediate sharp pain pulses in Rukia's head. She curses under her breath, her hands covering her head. Her vision blurs for a moment, but returns back to normal after she blinks a couple of times. Rubbing her tender head, Rukia crawls backwards and sits up. She looks over at Chris, whose voice she heard, and raises a brow at him.

"Yes?" Rukia responds, keeping her irritation to a minimum.

"A-are you okay?" Chris asks, concern in his tone.

"I will be fine. Now..." Rukia answers, her gaze softening, "... What is the matter?"

"Sonic's gone." Chris says with a frown.

Rukia blinks a couple of time before she looks around. She can't sense or see the hedgehog anywhere.

Where did he run off to...? Does he not realize that he can be caught? Well, Sonic does have his speed... But, that doesn't erase the anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach. He better be careful. They can't afford to be careless, which he's doing right now.

"Did he not like the food that much?" Chris wonders, breaking Rukia's train of thought.

"... Have you tried cat food before?" Rukia curiously asks.

"No...?"

"Good. Do not try it. I do not want you getting sick." Rukia says before she resumes cleaning.

Chris watches her for a moment before he joins her, "Let me help."

Rukia only nods, concentrating on the task in front of her. With Chris' help, they clear away the remaining crumbs. Satisfied, Rukia sits back in her chair and leans back. Chris rests in another chair, his focus on the table where his breakfast resides. He grabs a loaf of bread and breaks it in half. Chris hands the other half to Rukia with an apologetic smile.

"Here. This is actually really tasty. Ella makes the best food here." Chris offers, his expression bright when he talks about Ella's cooking.

Her stomach rumbles at the sight of real food. Rukia clears her throat, blushing in embarrassment. She gratefully accepts the bread and quietly thanks Chris. Rukia stares at the food in her hands, a drool threatening to fall from her mouth. Wiping her mouth, Rukia bites into the soft, fluffy substance and chews. Like most bread, it melts in her mouth with a touch of herb mixed in. She swallows and sighs in content.

"Is it good?" Chris asks, though he has this knowing smile on his face.

"Yes. Thank you very much." Rukia says before taking another bite.

Chris chuckles, "You're welcome."

Knowing that she's happy, Chris starts eating his food. They didn't talk much throughout the meal, but Chris would give Rukia more food if she's still hungry. After having their meal, both of them remain in their seats, enjoying the view of the azure sky.

* * *

" _ **It is so fast that it is difficult to understand just by looking at the footage.**_ "

Some time has passed since breakfast.

Chris suggested that they go downstairs and watch the news. Rukia warned him that she would be caught if she wandered around. He assured Rukia that she'll be fine and if she was found out, Chris would smooth things out. It took some coaxing, but Chris was able to persuade Rukia to join him. Not too long after that, Sonic came back and joined up with them.

Now here they are, in the living room, watching television. On the screen is a footage of Sonic running on the highway with Rukia in his arms. A woman's voice reports from the background as the video goes on. Rukia frowns at the good picture.

Is it possible to be impressed, yet troubled at the same time? That's what Rukia's feeling right now. The technology that these humans have intrigues her. She can easily tell Sonic's form on screen. The video's clear and smooth, which lies the problem. Anyone can distinguish his features, including hers. Though, with the way they look, it wouldn't be hard to point out their differences from the humans.

But that's besides the point.

The point is... Every human will know that they exist and will probably keep an extra eye out for them, especially Sonic. He's the main focus on the news. Speaking of which...

Rukia glances at Sonic from the corner of her eye. He's sitting on the other side of the couch with Chris in the middle, eating some cookies.

Sonic appears to be nonchalant about the whole thing. Is he used to the attention of strangers? Rukia assumes he might be. He's considered a hero back home after all. She wonders if he'll be a champion in this world too.

" _ **But we have some eye witness reports.**_ "

The sound of the woman's voice draws Rukia out of her thoughts and back to the television. A chubby policeman shows up, his hand hovering to a certain height.

" _ **It is about this big and blue. It looks to be a hedgehog.**_ "

The screen changes to a middle-aged man whose in his vehicle.

" _ **It went right by me at tremendous speed.**_ " the man says, creating a sound effect to describe Sonic's speed.

Another man, whose leaning against his car, shares his story to the reporters with some people in the background, " _ **No exaggeration. I'm sure he was going at mach speed.**_ "

Rukia raises a brow when the next person comes up. Another middle-aged man, in a white lab coat, shows up with a monkey. The monkey in his arms plays around with the human's glasses. The man shows no sign that he's bothered by this while he speaks, " _ **As to the question of whether this is a UMA – Unidentified Mutant Animal...the answer is no. Even the cheetah, who is said to be the fastest animal around, cannot outrun a car. There could never be an animal who can run that fast. It would be more reasonable to consider it more a machine than an animal.**_ "

"Is it good?" Chris asks Sonic, his attention back him after listening to the news.

Sonic shrugs while chewing, "It's okay, I guess."

He can't complain. The cookies are better than what he had before. Sonic can still taste the cat food in his mouth, even if it's been an hour. It would be great to remove the disgusting taste from his tongue. The sooner, the better!

Grumbling, Sonic grabs another hand full of cookies and shoves them in his mouth. Rukia twitches her nose at Sonic's lack of manners.

Yesterday, Rukia experienced Sonic's speed. Today, she's witnessing his way of eating food. He talks with his mouth full and sometimes chews out loud. Rukia wants to throw a pillow at him just to shut him up.

Before Rukia attempts to go through with her plan, the door suddenly opens. All eyes turn to the stranger.

 _ **BUSTED.**_

An elderly man marches through the door way, his white lab coat fluttering behind him. There's enthusiasm behind his steps and lavender eyes.

"Did you hear about it, Chris!?" the old man questions before stopping in front of the table, "A mysterious machine that beat the S Team appeared."

Rukia's heart skips a beat when he takes notice of Sonic. The hedgehog stares right back at him, his hands resting behind his head and feet propped on the table. Chris widens his eyes, realizing that they've been found out. He begins to panic, not knowing how his grandpa, Chuck, is going to react. Chuck glances at the television and then back to Sonic. Dumbfounded, he looks back at the screen again.

The atmosphere in the room tenses. Rukia anxiously watches the old man, ready to bolt out of here to avoid capture. Sonic, however, observes him without fear. Unlike Sonic, Chris freaks out when Chuck gawks back at the blue hedgehog. Chris grabs a nearby pillow and hastily covers Sonic's face with it. Sonic jumps at the sudden impact and immediately struggles for freedom.

"Hey, just what do you think you're doing, Chris!?" Sonic mumbles furiously against the pillow.

Chuck's taken back by his grandson's bold action. It didn't take long for him to recover before he narrows his eyes suspiciously at Chris. The child laughs nervously, wishing he's somewhere else instead of here.

"Chris, you are going to suffocate him." Rukia warns him, worried for Sonic's well being.

"Huh?"

"It's not 'huh'! Get this thing off of me!"

After finding a good place for his hands, Sonic presses against the pillow and throws it off of him. Chris stumbles back until Rukia stops him from falling over. Sonic crosses his arms and pouts, frustrated that he's being treated like this. Chuck slightly bends over, studying the blue creature in front of him.

"Blue...looks to be a hedgehog..." Chuck observes closely.

The news was describing about a similar hedgehog from last night. Can it be a coincidence? How did this machine appear in his home? Chuck has a feeling that his grandson had something to do with his appearance. With his strange behavior towards the machine, it's obvious that Chris brought them in.

Huh? 'Them'?

Someone shifts in their seat, which made Chuck snap his gaze to the person responsible. Rukia freezes mid movement, startled at the sudden action. They stare at each other, not knowing how either one will react.

There was nothing on the news about a female purple machine. Though, now that he thinks about it, the blue hedgehog was carrying something purple in the video footage. Is this machine also fast?

Chuck's hands twitch excitedly, realizing now that there are incredible machines in his house.

The blue one especially.

None of the younger folks could predict what happens next. Chuck dives forward and wraps his arms around Sonic. The motion surprises Rukia, her body reacting immediately. She jumps off and stumbles away from the couch. Sonic, however, can only struggle against the old man, who has a tight grip on him. Chris watches on hopelessly, unsure on how to stop his grandpa.

"Chris! Help him!" Rukia tells him.

Before Chris responds to Rukia, Chuck takes out a screw driver. With Sonic in one hand, Chuck turns him over and starts poking him. Sonic begins to laugh, the screw driver touching his sensitive back.

"I wonder how he's made...?" Chuck mutters, focused on the task on hand.

"Stop!" Sonic shouts, fed up with the mistreatment today.

With the help of his speed, Sonic escapes the old man's grip. Chuck stares at the empty space in his hand before looking up. Sonic floats through the air before landing beside Rukia. Both humans have a look of awe on their faces. But, Chuck snaps out of it and frowns at Sonic for escaping.

"Don't run away!"

Chris sees his chance to clear the misunderstanding and takes it. He leans over to his grandpa, stretching his hand out to prevent him from going over to Sonic and Rukia.

"Grandpa... They..." Chuck turns to his grandson, quirking an eyebrow at him. Chris swallows before he continues with a nervous smile, "They're not machines."

Everyone watches as the information sinks into Chuck's head. Chuck slowly widens his eyes, astonishment clear on his face. Shocked by this information, he looses his grip on the tool and it falls on the floor, creating a thump sound. Rukia eyes warily at the screw driver before looking back to the elderly man.

" _ **Please stay away. I'm scared.**_ "

" _ **Chao!**_ "

Sonic's ears twitch upon hearing familiar voices. He blinks in confusion before turning his head to the television. Rukia follows his gaze until her eyes land on the screen. The picture shows a shivering, Mobian rabbit hugging a blue Chao. Her voice trembles when she tells the humans to go away. However, they didn't listen to her weak plea and continue to climb up a ladder to reach her. From what Rukia gathers, they're on top of some bill board.

How did they get up there...? Did they sleep up there during the night? Or were they unconscious and didn't have a choice? They must be so confused and terrified right now. Poor things...

Sonic twists his whole body to the screen, tense and alert. He narrows his eyes at the humans that are coming closer to his friends. Rukia shifts her eyes to the blue hedgehog, taking note of his serious expression.

"Are they your friends? The ones you spoke of last night." Rukia asks him, frowning at the situation the little ones are in.

"Yeah! So we aren't the only ones stuck in this weird world." Sonic says, squeezing his hands into a fist. He wipes his nose with his thumb, tightening the muscles in his legs, "Okay, hang on!"

"What are you-"

Rukia's question is cut short when Sonic dashes out the room leading outside. She stares at the empty space before turning her head to the open door way. Chris runs after him. Rukia goes to join him. When she walks by the stunned older male, Rukia hears the disbelief in his quiet tone.

"There's more of them..."

She shakes her head at his obvious conclusion. Rukia reaches Chris' side in time to hear him shout after Sonic.

"Do you know where to go!?"

Chris' voice reaches Sonic's ears. Finding truth in his words, Sonic skids to a stop before running back. He runs over some bushes, ruining the design and stops in front of Chris. Sonic grins sheepishly before shrugging.

"I take it he does not." Rukia sighs as she shakes her head at him.

* * *

Everyone's gathered in the garage. At the moment, Chuck's talking to someone over the phone to gain more information. Rukia observes the area around her.

It's a spacious enough building. There's several machinery lying about, but the floors remain untouched from smaller parts. Shelves of different sizes and types rest against the walls. There's more metal than wood, though. It resembles more of a work shop than a garage, what with all the odd tools in the area.

Her eyes stop at Sonic's form, noticing he's playing with a strange machine. She walks over and stares at it before knocking on it. The sound of a vibrating metal reaches her ear drums, her body twitching at the high pitch.

"What a strange thing..." Rukia mutters, placing her hand on the surface and feeling the smooth texture.

"Yeah, it doesn't work either." Sonic comments, his hands playing with the levers.

"..." Rukia stops her hand from exploring before she turns to him, her frown deepening, "... Are you crazy?"

"Nah, I'm Sonic," the blue hedgehog jokes before he faces her with a grin, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Before Rukia can comment, both Mobians hear Chuck say his farewell before hanging up. They turn to the older male, anxious to know what he has to say.

"They seem to have been transported from the police to Area 99." Chuck informs them.

"Area 99...?" Chris asks, searching through his memories of the place. Scientists and guns flash in his mind as he widens his eyes in shock, "That's a military research facility!"

"Military?" Sonic questions, furrowing his brows at the name.

"Research?" Rukia's eyes brighten upon hearing the word.

Chris turns his head to the Mobians, "Yeah, the National Defense Force. They have war tanks, fighter planes, and weapons of war."

"Oh." Rukia says, frowning in disappointment. Not the kind of research she was hoping for.

"It sounds a lot like Eggman!" Sonic points out, though the humans have no idea who he's talking about.

"I have heard rumors about him. He does not have a good reputation among the Mobians." Rukia says while crossing her arms.

"With good reason." Sonic tells her.

"It seems..." Both Mobians turn to Chuck who clears his throat, "... They've been brought to the military facility to be checked out. Maybe they think you guys are aliens or biological weapons that had been developed in another country," he leans towards them with a grin, "What is in fact the truth? Hmm...?"

"I have no idea," Sonic shrugs, feeling annoyed at the concept of them being 'aliens', as Chuck so nicely words it, "So now that I know where they are, I guess I'll excuse myself."

Sonic stomps toward the open garage doors, eager to rescue his friends. Rukia watches him go, feeling she will only be in the way if she joins him.

"But..." Chris starts off hesitantly before continuing, "If you go in like that, they'll catch you too."

The blue hedgehog stops before turning to face them with a smile, "I'm not such a klutz."

Even with Sonic's confidence in his abilities, it doesn't stop the doors from closing on him. Sonic glares at the obstacle in front of him, clenching his fists. Cursing under his breath, he spins back around, irritation clear on his face.

"Just what do you think you're doing!?" Sonic shouts.

Chris raises his hands and moves them side to side, "I-I didn't do it."

"It was him." Rukia nods toward Chuck, who's holding a remote controller.

"I've been found out." Chuck says with a grin, though he doesn't appear to mind being caught.

Everyone stares at the old man. Rukia raises a brow at him, intrigued to know his reasons.

"... Why?" Rukia asks.

"It's become quite interesting!" Chuck answers while he raises his right arm and bends it make a muscle. Placing a hand on his bicep, his body shakes with enthusiasm, "I'm getting pretty excited."

"Not you too, grandpa." Chris says in disbelief.

"You come along too," Chuck tells him, a teasing grin forming on his lips, "You're always saying that you don't want to be a bore like you dad, right?"

A snort escapes Rukia's lips before she can stop it. She covers her mouth to prevent any more laughter from coming out. But, Rukia can't stop herself from smiling. Chris blushes in embarrassment from Rukia's laugh and his grandpa's teasing.

"Please don't tell dad I said that." Chris pleads, his blush becoming a deeper shade of red.

"I know! I know!" Chuck assures him, though his grin remains intact.

"Seeing as how you two are going, I am coming along as well. However..." Rukia motions toward Sonic, "He cannot carry us all. How do you plan on taking us there?"

"Easy! We'll take my car. Let's go!"

A couple of minutes pass before Chuck drives up with his vehicle. With the engine running, Chris climbs into the passenger seat. Rukia ties her dreadlocks together with a white dirty ribbon, creating a low ponytail. She goes to join them, but pauses when she takes note of Sonic's lack of enthusiasm to join them.

"Are you not coming?" Rukia asks.

"I can get there much faster by myself." Sonic tells her, stretching his legs to prepare himself.

"I do not doubt that," Rukia says, knowing some extent of how fast he can go. Seeing that he's not budging, Rukia sighs and attempts to persuade him, "At least join us half way. It will be easier for you if you have someone showing you the way."

Sonic stops stretching and looks over at her, contemplating on her words. Rukia stands still, patiently waiting for his reply. After a moment passes, Sonic scratches his nose before he sighs.

"Only half way." Sonic says, still not liking the idea of sitting in a slow vehicle.

Rukia nods, satisfied by his response. She points to the car and gestures him inside. Sonic drags his feet until he reaches the car and climbs in. He crosses his arms and pouts. Rukia wills herself to not roll her eyes at his childish nature before she climbs in. Once everyone buckles in, Chuck drives off the driveway and down the road. Not even a minutes passes before Chris hands them some blankets, glasses and hats.

"We're going to be driving by some people on the road. It's best if you disguise yourselves." Chris advises them before turning back around.

The Mobians looks at each other while holding the objects. Sonic shrugs before he wraps himself in the blanket. Rukia follows his lead and places a sun hat on her head. She then slides on a pair of black shades and glances over at Sonic. A black fedora rests over Sonic's head with a green feather suck to the side. He also has the same pair of sunglasses.

"You guys look great!" Chris praises with a thumbs up.

Rukia adjusts her hat to make it more comfortable, "Thank you."

"Yeah. Thanks."

Chuck drives around the city, stopping at some lights and stop signs.

They have yet come across any troublesome drivers. Which is good considering they don't need that sort of problem to deal with.

There have been some cars with kids inside that would make funny faces at Sonic. He would stick his tongue out at them until they drove away. While Sonic did this, Rukia watched on with an amused smile. Other than that, they didn't have to deal with traffic or someone bumping against Chuck's car.

Chuck makes it out of the city in one piece. Right now, he's driving on an open road where there's barely any cars driving by. Surrounding the vehicle is barren land stretching out to the horizon and mountains. Since there isn't any buildings to block the sun, the heat bares harshly down on them. Rukia shrugs off the blanket and folds it neatly before placing it beside her. Sonic follows her example, except he rolls the blanket and tosses it in the pile. She narrows her eyes at him before she snatches the blanket and folds it properly. He grins innocently at her and leans back against his seat.

"This is it, right?" Chris asks his grandpa.

"Right." Chuck says, smiling over at him before glancing back at the road.

Chris turns in his seat and hands Sonic an item. Sonic leans forward, takes it and examines the strange equipment.

It resembles headphones, but with only one side available. There's a tiny microphone attached to the head piece and a red glass to cover his one eye. Thankfully, it's big enough for Sonic to wear.

"Put it on." Chris instructs while pointing at his own head.

"What is it?" Sonic asks as he takes off the fedora and sunglasses.

"An infrared scope," Chuck replies, his eyes still set on the road. Rukia plops Sonic's folded blanket on top of hers before glancing over at Sonic, "I'm sure that Area 99 is full of infrared sensor traps. But, if you wear that..." Chuck briefly looks over his shoulder to grin at Sonic, "... You can detect the traps."

"How useful." Rukia comments as she places Sonic's hat and glasses on top of the blankets.

"Yeah it is!" Sonic agrees before setting the equipment over his ear and head.

Once he's comfortable, Sonic winks and gives both the humans a thumbs up. He unbuckles his seat belt, jumps out of the car and runs beside it without missing a beat. Rukia peeks out and waves at him.

"Good luck. I hope you rescue your friends." Rukia tells him.

"I got this one in the bag! Thanks though!" Sonic appreciates the luck before turning to Chris, "Thanks for the equipment. I'm going on ahead!"

Sonic picks up the pace and dashes down the road, clearly beating the speed Chuck's going. Chris watches him go with an awe expression. He feels a thrilling sensation pump through his veins.

He's not the only one experiencing that emotion.

"He is way faster than what I thought." Chuck mutters, his grip on the wheel tightening.

Rukia snaps her attention to the old man, her gut clenching uncomfortably.

 **She has a bad feeling about this...**

She slaps a hand over her hat and tightens her seatbelt. Her instincts prove to be correct when Chuck presses his foot on the gas pedal and floors it. The car accelerates and flattens the passengers in the car, except for the crazy driver. He drives over a hill, which made the car fly for a few seconds until it lands back on the road. Rukia grunts at the rough impact. She would shout at Chuck for driving too fast. But, with the wind blowing hard against her face, it's difficult to speak.

After a while, Chuck did slow down to normal speed. He realizes, after looking at the speed meter, that he's running low on gas. Chuck didn't want to be stranded out in the middle of nowhere with the kids, so he reduces the speed and continues on.

Both Chris and Rukia let out a sigh of relief. Seeing that he's able to move around, Chris grabs another headset with one ear piece. But, this one doesn't have a red eye piece. It doesn't matter to him though since he only needs to instruct Sonic on what to do.

"Do you read me, Sonic?" Chris asks, his lips near the microphone.

" _Yeah!_ "

Rukia unbuckles her seat belt and leans forward to hear the conversation. Chris adjusts the microphone before speaking again.

"When you get inside, go through the air vent. That should be a blind spot for security," Chris glances over at his grandpa. Chuck nods approvingly before Chris continues, "... Says grandpa."

" _All right._ "

"But..." Chris starts off, his eyes turning to his grandpa with an uncertain gaze, "...do you know where they're being held captive?"

"Of course I know!" Chuck exclaims before grabbing the ear piece and pressing it against his ear, "If you keep going in suspicious looking directions, I'm sure it'll take you to your destination."

"That... How is that suppose to help him...?" Rukia questions, dumbfounded by the elderly man's vague description. Chris agrees with her, saying it's irresponsible.

" _Oh well, I'll work it out somehow._ "

"It is good to know he has not lost his enthusiasm." Rukia says, her eyes switching to the road ahead of them.

Silence envelops the group, the car going at a steady pace. It almost reaches it's destination when Sonic's voice speaks up.

" _I'm inside the air vent._ "

"Roger," Chris replies. He hears some muttering in the ear piece, but can't pick up a full sentence, "What did you just say?"

" _Nothing._ "

That's the last thing they hear from him before Chuck drives up to a nearby cliff. He turns the engine off and leans back against his seat. Rukia jumps out of the vehicle and stands at the edge of the cliff, observing the building from a far. She chews the inside of her cheek, anxious with each minute that ticks by.

The silence doesn't help either.

Whenever Rukia hears a small sound, it makes her jump. All this waiting around for something to happen sets Rukia on edge. She glances over at Chris, worried since there hasn't been any word from Sonic in a while.

"Anything...?" Rukia asks him.

"No... There's nothing. I'm sorry." Chris replies while shaking his head.

"I see." Rukia sighs as she crosses her arms, her gaze back at the base.

Not long after they had that brief conversation, an alarm goes off at the base. Rukia jumps at the sudden, obnoxiously loud sound. She smacks against her chest to calm her racing heart. Chris stands abruptly, trying to contact Sonic.

"Sonic! What's the matter!? Are you all right!?" Chris shouts, slowly panicking the longer Sonic takes to respond.

There's some static before Chris hears Sonic's voice, " _No problem!_ "

A couple minutes have passed before they hear explosions going off. Rukia narrows her eyes, nervous for Sonic and his friends well being. With the help of the wind, she can smell the smoke coming from the base.

Which isn't a good thing.

As Chris tries to contact Sonic again, something blue moves at the corner of his eye. Chris looks up and notices an airplane in the sky. He widens his eyes before pointing at it.

"Look at that!"

Rukia and Chuck turn their attention to the sky. A blue and yellow plane circles around the building. She can't see who's piloting the machine since it's so far away. However, she does witness Sonic bursting through the ceiling with his friends. Everyone watches on in awe. The pilot maneuvers the plane to the side to catch them. Sonic easily lands on the wing of the plane and lies down. Chris cheers at the success of their mission. Rukia smiles at Sonic's accomplishment, her eyes following the plane. It flies over head, flying back to where they came from.

"So, shall we get going too then?" Chuck asks, smiling enthusiastically.

"Yes!" Chris shouts, settling down even though the adrenaline still pumps through his veins.

Rukia nods before she walks over to the car and jumps in. She buckles up and leans back comfortably, relieved that everything went according to plan. Chuck starts the car up and heads home.

* * *

"I'm Chris. I just got to be friends with Sonic last night."

Both groups arrive safely back at Chris' home. They're now residing inside the garage, introducing to one another. The airplane that was used to rescue Sonic rests outside of the garage. Since there isn't any room inside the garage, it will be safe where it's parked for the time being. It's best if they don't do anything for a while. At least until things have cooled down with the humans.

Though, Rukia can't predict what will happen tomorrow. She can only pray nothing too dramatic happens.

A twin tailed yellow fox steps up to introduce himself, his aqua eyes bright with joy, "I'm Tails! I always hang around with Sonic," he turns his head to said hedgehog, smiling at him, "Right, Sonic?"

"I guess so." Sonic says, though there's a proud smile on his face.

The young bunny comes next, her orange dress ruffling when she steps forward. A gentle smile forms on her lips before she folds her hands in front of her, "I'm Cream and this is my friend, Cheese," she introduces her blue Chao friend with the red bow tie. Both of them bow in greeting, "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, same here. It seems we'll become good friends." Chris returns the gesture with a smile.

"A pleasure to meet you as well, little one. My name is Rukia." Rukia introduces herself from the stair case, her arms crossed on top of her knees.

"When did you meet up with Sonic, Rukia?" Tails curiously asks, his tails fluttering.

"Well, Tails, I met Sonic last night. Just like Chris, except more adventurous." Rukia explains as she rests her cheek against the palm of her hand.

"Fantastic...!" Chuck's astonished voice interrupts the current conversation.

Everyone turns to him. Chris motions Tails and Cream toward his grandpa, "He's my grandfather."

"I've never seen such micro sized radio controlled planes before." Chuck admits, examining the foreign object in his hand.

Tails puffs up his chest with pride, rubbing his nose enthusiastically. His tails flutter joyfully at the compliment.

"Something like that is no big deal." Tails says, but his expressions give away how happy he is.

"But..." Chris starts off before he frowns disapprovingly at Sonic, "You're too reckless!" Sonic turns his attention to Chris, his posture still relaxed, "You're dealing with the military, you know! War could've broke out."

Sonic stares at him for a moment before he faces him with an easy going smile, "It'll work out somehow."

"That's not the point."

Rukia observes the energetic group with a soft smile. While Chris scowls Sonic (even though the blue hedgehog's ignoring him), Tails converses with Chuck about the tiny planes.

It's good to know that the humans and Mobians are bonding. Compared to last night, this is more peaceful and likable. Rukia can grow to like this, being with a small group of different species. It might take a while since she's used to traveling by herself, but she'll see what the future holds for her.

She feels a tug on her skirt. Rukia glances down to see Cheese smiling adorably up at her. Chuckling, she rubs the top of his head to give him some affection. He squeals and bounces in one spot. Cream walks over, smiling at the scene in front of her.

"He likes you." Cream says, placing her hands behind her back.

"I am glad that he does. It would be unfortunate if he did not." Rukia says before looking over at Cream.

"I hope we can become good friends." Cream tells her.

Rukia smiles gently at the bunny in front of her, "Me too, Cream."

Cream's chocolate brown eyes brighten when Rukia felt the same way. She rocks her body back and forth with her feet. Rukia's smile widens at Cream's excitement, finding her positive energy contagious.

Who wouldn't smile at a child's enthusiasm?

"Uh, Sonic," Tails voice brings the girls' attention on the fox, "If you, I, Cream, Cheese and Rukia were all affected by that accident, could it also be that..." he steps toward the group, concern written on his face, "...all the others are here too?"

"The others who were there at the time were Knuckles, Amy and..." Sonic trails off.

A memory of Dr. Eggman flashes in Sonic, Tails and Cream's mind. They exclaim his name at the same time. Rukia frowns at this, a feeling of dread hanging on her shoulders.

The future suddenly looks bleak.

* * *

 _ **To be continued...**_

 **Disclaimer: I only own Rukia. No one else.**

So hey, here's another chapter for you guy! A very long one and it's only chapter two. |D Let me know how I'm doing with thoughts and feelings. Is there anything I should work on? Expand someone's thoughts to make it legit? Since I am serious about revising my old story, I want to make it almost brand new. As I said before, I accept any criticism! Thank you and I hope you have a wonderful day~!


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